Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-01-28

had stood her upon the moss. and dazed as
she always was by his prevailing presence.
you oughtn't 10 have hid | want to
talk up a scheme with YOU right Of II
popped into my head since ! got of the
train
what scheme p said Beetrus. huggng
her shawl and looking over her shoulder to
stimulate complete indifference.
"You know well enough, or can guess.
We mustn't be parted my dear girl | can't
run up TO New Harmony every time ! make
a trip down this way. Think Of the long
winter. Don't you want to see me this
winter y
"Oh-yes,n she admitted, with a gasp.
/ want to see you. ! want to have you
entirely to myself to look forward to every
time | come in off the road. Let's get mar
riedn
Beetrus visibly expanded and contracted
with great breath.
Get on the train and 20 over to Evans
vile with me, and wen have the minister
tie the knot there Then home. And IL
nice little private set Of rooms, all quiet and
to ourselves, and no relations TO bother us ="
But mas fixed things to 20 up 10 New
Harmony for the winter whispered Bee
trls struggling with this vision and she
wouldn't change her mind so suddenly
specially as she doesn't know you real well a"
1T isn't ma | want to marry" argued
Poundstone using his winning smile. "I'll
drop my relations, and you surely can do
the same.
Drop ma -
leave her "a little while Let her go up
to New Harmony, you know
And what do you mean about dropping
your relations (" demanded Beetrus. grow
ing straighter and more self-assured, and
] lur,it,tr
they wouldn't want to he acquainted with
ma and me No, sir | amt going to let
her go up to New Harmony alone: and
never would seriously have you unless she
| knew all about it and was willing She
might have read your letters if she wanted
to she knows about them. / never did
anything in my life that ma told me not to-
II thought five minutes talk on this sub
ject would bring you TO reason. remon-
strated Poundstone.
Then you didn't calculate right.
80 il seems
'Im not the girl you took me for
do you want to break with me entire
Tyr he exclaimed, with heat.
"Yes-come to that do ~ cried Bee
trus, flinging his letters at him. two llutter-
ing uncertain, but one moulded by the grip
of her hand and darting like Il missile II
believed in you, and see how you've treated
me :"
my darling girl :"
Don't you come around in my sight any
more. And 20 marry somebody that won't
cause any d,npptg | can stand it.
Il believe you can, he sneered.
Yes, indeed | can stand it. So good
/ by to you"
Saying which, Beetrus turned and scud-
ded off, through Spanish needles and bog
. Ii. Ct LIZ
/ STRANGE had been for some time changed
| into language of another sort.
| The White Dore moved OIL from Wabash
| Landing two hours behind her appointed
time. She was dirty little boat, carrying
miscellaneous freight, but among the bar
/ rels on the after-deck some hard favored
and much whitfield chairs had been placed
for Beetrus and her mother
The young girl herself stood hy the rope
which served for railing, and saw her own
heartache color all those fair distances.
Downy swells of remote banks and bold
iuts of rock We're copied in the river, 50
ruffleless did it seem to lie even when the
strong current was moving.
While the white bore churned along.
shadows stretched upon the Wabash. Now
it was very late afternoon, and now it
threatened to be evening, with hint that
by-and-by it would be night, when you
might expect the woods to make deep black
borders along the river, and the canopy of
stars to look smeared by the little steamers
smoke-stack
When Beetrus was pale and tired, she
turned and leaned against her mother-an
ample, indulgent woman, who nevertheless
had one bristling mole upon the right side
of her face. She broke the tact silence in
which they had begun their journey by de
claring, Ma love you"
You don't often put a body out telling
them that, responded Mrs. jenkins, utter
ing a gratifed laugh.
Il keep up dreadful loving, though"
said Beetrus, casting sidewise at the river
black eyes which swan in waters of their
own.
You're my baby" said her mother, pat
ting the hand fondling her neck. There's
plenty of pretty young men in the world,
but there's only one old mother"
Il don't care anything about the young
men, said Beetrus, with strong scorn. Il
was thinking a good while in the woods to
day, coming from the post-ofiice, and I've
made up my mind never to get married.
You'll turn around often enough before
the time comes
Il never will" emphasized Beetrus.
"Well be two nice old ladies together, ma,
and neither of us will get married"
Il won't, for sure thing, laughed her
mother. But you'll only be middle-aged
when I'm ready to totter.'
Yes, that's So" said Beetrus sadly
And then if one should die and leave the
other
'Now, now, don't you fret, lovey. I've
had considerable trouble and experience,
and if don't sigh round, you needn't.
Who's that nice-looking man that keeps
looking back this way y
Beetrus had been facing down river, with
her mind completely closed to any moving
figures on the deck She looked back over
her shoulder
'Why, it's"-she exclaimed, swallowing
her breath with a gasp-''it's Mr., Pound
stone"
THAT correspondent of yours y said Mrs
jenkins, nodding her head, and inspecting
him sincerely with such thOroughness rs in
tervening barrels permitted
Beetrus's ears rang She had, however,
that instructive western courage which
sometimes takes the place of disciplined
self-control so by no other clew than the
deepening fire of her cheeks and eyes did
she give Mr. PoundstOne any knowledge
of the disturbance he brought her when he
climbed passage over impediments and
placed himself in the party
His manner was subdued, even becunl-
ingly humble and conciiatory.
Ma this is Mr., Poundstone,' said Bee
trus, secretly triumphant in being free
from the subservience which yesterday
would have made her say, Mr. Pound
stone, this is my mother
She did not add to her unconsidered form
ula now but allowed him to lift his hat and
bow over her mothers hand.
I'm glad to meet you, Mrs. jenkins,
said he 81 want to make friends with
you, and get you TO convince your daughter
Pm not such a bad fellow as | look
you don't look like bad fellow, " she
responded heartily.
Il didn't know you were going up on the
boat, said Beetrus, regarding with gentle
indifference the brim of his hat after he re
placed it,
you know couldn't go off ON the train
and leave matters in the shape they are. /
never sold a bill of goods in New Harmony
in my life, but I'm going to try 10 make
satisfactory trade for myself now, if the
house turns me off for il.
Beetrus parted her lips smiling, and this
time met him in the eyes Without form
ulating the fact, she knew there was ster-
ing man under the crust of acquired coarse
ness. The brutal plan he had formed CON
corning her, and which he was now scarce
- " tii'lb ~ oNhhNNANNbt ~ iliiio'AAf 'Nbah
to withdraw from betwixt them like the
mist which already wavered on the hills,
II believe it will be a clear day to-mOr-
row, the girl said falling back upon good
commonplace
''Do you believe it will be clear day to-
morrow, Mrs. Jenkinsi' inquired Pound
stone
well, it seems like it might be pretty
responded the widow, turning up her face
To see the pinkness reflected from the west
"Then l belieVe il will too 80 snid the cam